Moving with the Flow

[Polyanwood]

I am hoping someone from our association who bulk buys New Zealand carnilans every year to requeen his hives will let me buy some of the ones he orders. He sometimes doesn't even use gloves. Mine are mean. They especialy like to cover my veil and sometimes it is hard to see. When the Bee Inspector inspected the hives the bees stung him a lot and follwoed him down the garden, through the house and out to his car. Embarrassing.

 

[Hivemaker.]

New zealand strain i found out was not very good,they are very prone to suffer bad with acarine,i only tried them once several years ago,they are very gentle,they build up very strong they collect a lot of honey,then they eat it all,the queen never stops laying,then they get acarine and die. I think from what i hear you will have your hands full perhaps with the carniolan regards swarming,as Finman says,i am also trying these at the moment,i think the one's from bickerstaffes and some other places are not pure carnica.I have a contact to get pure carnica's from there homeland. But even bee's from here can have differing temperement.The ones i have at the moment are very gentle.If they prove to be good then perhaps i will use some to II,time will tell.Swarming is not a problem to me but if you have any worries about this perhaps you would be better to try an Italian strain as Finman suggests.

 

[Polyanwood]

Hard to know what to do for the best. I bought Italian queens. They were mean. Their mongrel descendants are mostly either mean or vicious. Everyone kept telling me I must be doing something to wind them up... but when they meet them, they agree with me.

Since my bees are all in my garden, and so there will be some drifting, do you think it would be sensible to try different types of queens and not just opt for one one kind?

 

[Hivemaker.]

It could be to do with the source of the queens,and how pure the strain is in part,most of these pure strains when crossed become nasty,because we have no control over the drones. Think its a pit like pot luck.I don't believe the queens from bickerstaffes are very pure,they try to deal in to many different races of queen all from one source. Carnica
Bucfast x Cecropia
Caucasica
Ligustica.
Macedonica

All from one bee breeder is to many to guarantee pure strain,they would be better to specialize in one.

 

[grizzly]

With Sweetums bees if you moved your hand accross the top bars about 9 inches above hundreds of bees whould attack your hand like a magnet over iron fillings.

Is it possible for Bees to sue for deformation of character in a court of Law !!

 

[BKF Admin]

Is it possible for Bees to sue for deformation of character in a court of Law !!

I can just see 12 men and woman good and true turning up at your apiary on a coach to inspect your bees.

 

[Polyanwood]

I have bought from Bickerstaffes and from the Park Beekeeping shop. Don't know where the latter come from. Greek one got balled. Only Italians survived.

They were about ?25 each... the New Zealand ones are half that, but no use if they eat all the honey.

 

[Hivemaker.]

It was the very prone to acarine bit that i found worse,but this was several years ago. I paid ?15 for the carniolans and Apart from the new zealand which i'm pleased never passed on any of there genes before they perished have never bought any other queens,and most likely won't buy any more. Hope to get good at II next spring,if its going to rain a lot again.Raising your own queens is much more sattisfying.

 

[victor meldrew]

As I write this post ,my mongrels are absolutely hammering the golden rod which grows in profusion around this side of the village (escapees from 50 year old abandoned allotments ). Early evening they will desert the golden rod in favour of the balsam . Early morning they have a go at the evening primrose flowers still viable .

John Wilkinson

 

[victor meldrew]

A HEARTENING SHOT

Tons of the stuff all over the place

John Wilkinson

 

[Erichalfbee]

Mine are over the knapweed between showers.

 

[victor meldrew]

Mine are mildly interested in the knapweed but the golden rod and the balsam eclipse it!!

John Wilkinson